About this Site

Emilie Davis was an African-American woman living in Philadelphia during the U.S. Civil War. This website is a transcription of Emilie’s three pocket diaries for the years 1863, 1864, and 1865. In them, she recounts black Philadelphians’ celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, nervous excitement during the battle of Gettysburg, and their collective mourning of President Lincoln. The diary allows readers to experience the war in real time, as events unfolded for Civil War Americans. Read More...

Page “Emilie celebrates her 24th birthday.”

February 18-20, 1863

Wednesday, February 18, 1863.

it is very unpleasent to day it is my birthday nevertheless i feel thankful i have bin spard so long and if i should be spard in future i will try and spend my

Thursday 19

time more Profitable very unpleasent day Nellie and i went out shoping muslins are frightfuly Dear in the evening we went to the lecture after witch we over to rachels then up to

Friday 20

nellies Jake mad nellie birthday Presents very dull day we expected Tomy but he didnot com this afternoon i went up to see Celistene she is

Annotation 1

Because Nel or Nellie is often referenced with Jake, or Jacob C. White, Jr., she might be the same Caroline E. White that historian Harry Silcox identified as Jake’s wife. Caroline was born in Virginia in 1828, making her about ten years older than Emilie. In 1880, Caroline and Jake were living in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Caroline was described as a “sales lady,” and Jake, a “school teacher.” Silcox, “Philadelphia Negro Educator,” 96.

Annotation 2

This may be Celestine Clark, listed as an eighteen-year-old “mulatto” living in the 1st ward in the 1870 census, but this would have made her only eleven years old when Emilie mentioned her in the diary. Year: 1870; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 1 District 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: M593_1387; Page: 576A; Image: 471; Family History Library Film: 552886.